Gardeners urged to bury jars of beer in soil in May

Nobody wants slugs to hinder their gardens as we spend so much time trying to make them look lovely; however, there's no need to worry, as a simple item can help to keep the pests away. May is a common time to see them as they thrive in mild, damp and wet conditions, making spring, particularly May, a peak time for them to emerge and damage young plants.

You don't need to fret though as there's a simple way to keep them away from your flowers and ensure your garden looks fresh. It turns out, you only need a common item to get the job done too.

It's not the first gardening advice of its kind to be shared either. Previously, it was also revealed a natural item can help to keep them away.

Senior Horticultural Content Manager at Fothergill's, Pim Dickson, shared some key advice people need to know. It's worth listening to his tips, as the brand boasts thousands of followers on Instagram.

Pim said: "Slugs and snails are an important part of our ecosystem, but their ravenous appetites can cause havoc on plants and fresh new shoots in the spring and summer. Preventing them from entering the garden may be impossible, but there are many easy, natural steps you can take to reduce their numbers and make it less hospitable for them."

He continued: "The perfect time to get into the garden and collect slugs and snails is after an evening rain shower. In my garden, they will often congregate out on the lawn and become easy pickings.

"Collected in a bucket, they can then be disposed of humanely somewhere far away. It can be remarkably effective, and is the best alternative to using slug pellets.

"Be sure to wear gloves, though, as their mucus can be hard to wash off your hands. Traps can also prove highly effective; a jar half full of beer, buried up to its neck in the ground, works well - even better with a handful of oats mixed in it.

"Slugs and snails will be attracted and fall in, to be removed and humanely disposed of later. Another method for collecting them is to position half a grapefruit skin propped up on a stone.

"Slugs and snails will be enticed to gather beneath, and they can then be collected for removal. It is good practice to remove or reduce places for slugs and snails to hide, such as old pots and containers.

"Things leaning up against a fence, or that ‘out of sight’ pile of things you haven’t found a use for yet. Then thoroughly search those you want to remain, like patio pots.

"Placing pots on ‘feet’ will reduce their use as shelters for slugs and snails, with the added bonus of improving plant drainage."

Why does it work?

Little you may know, placing beer in the garden can help to keep slugs away from plants. This is because they are highly attracted to it.

It's considered a popular and effective method for controlling garden infestations. They are drawn by the yeast and fermented scent, which mimics decaying plant material, a favourite food source, and they often prefer it over living plants.

This is why people have been urged to place beer outdoors. The yeast and sugars in the beer essentially lure slugs in, causing them to fall into a shallow container.

It's reported inexpensive, pungent beers or stouts work best. However, non-alcoholic beer is just as effective because it's the yeast attracting them, not the alcohol.

All you need to do is pour the beer into a shallow container (like a yoghurt cup) and bury it in the soil, so the rim is level with the ground. The traps should be emptied and refilled every two to three days.